In this post, I share information and resources to help you implement small-group instruction in your classroom. I explain why small group instruction is important and suggest the best skills to teach in small groups. Finally, I leave you with FREE SMALL GROUP TOOLKIT that has everything you need to teach the short A phonics skill to your small groups!
Small group instruction is an essential part of each literacy block. This is when you can focus on filling in identified gaps and target individualized needs. While the thought of assessing, grouping, planning, and teaching small groups can be stressful and overwhelming – it doesn’t have to be.
Today I’m excited to offer information and resources to help you begin to implement small groups in your classroom. I’ll first share why small group instruction is important and identify the best skills to teach in small groups. Then, I’ll leave you with a FREE SMALL GROUP TOOLKIT that provides you with everything you need to teach the short A phonics skill to your small groups!
Why is Small Group Instruction Important?
Research has found that small-group instruction has a significant impact on student learning. Small groups allow you to provide explicit, targeted instruction to students based on their identified needs. It is an opportunity for students to receive the additional teaching and practice that is often needed for them to master the skills we teach.
Additionally, small group instruction allows teachers to monitor student actions more closely and provide frequent and individualized feedback. Correct responses receive immediate and specific reinforcement, while incorrect responses should be met with immediate corrective feedback.
Teaching in small groups allows you to perform informal assessments and collect data that helps drive your instruction. Watch closely as your students attempt a task to get a clear sense of their understandings and misconceptions.
Finally, students love their time in small groups. Research has found that students are 66% more likely to participate in a small group setting, rather than whole group. Of course, they love having your full attention, and the immediate feedback you provide helps to build a connection and can boost students’ confidence.
Skills to Teach in Small Groups
In a small group, you provide students with targeted remediation and review that they need to master the skill you have identified as their need. Skills you will work on in small groups include:
- Phonemic awareness
- Phonics
- Decoding and Fluency
- Comprehension
- Word study/spelling
Take a look at this post to find the best resources to help you teach these skills.
FREE SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION TOOLKIT
If you are ready to take the next step towards maximizing your small group instruction and saving precious time then this small group toolkit is just what you need! It offers you everything you need to teach short A. This freebie makes teaching this skill as easy as “click, print, and teach!”
This FREE toolkit includes…
Small Group Lesson Plans
- 5-day plans: Use these plans with the struggling readers that you meet with each day.
- 3-day plans: Use these plans with students you meet with 3-days a week.
Small Group Student Printables
You’ll get:
- Phonemic Awareness Word Mapping Cards
- Blending Lines
- Decodable Passages
- Dictation printable
- Word Cards
- Word Sorts (2 differentiated versions are provided)
Supplemental Resources
You may use these resources as extra enrichment, at a center, or independent student work.
Drop your email below to receive all of these small group resources instantly!
I hope the information and free resources we have provided for you here today will help to bring more meaningful small-group instruction to your classroom. We know small-group instruction has a significant impact on student learning and we are excited to be able to support you in this work.
